Jake Medley, executive director of the sustainability office (right) observes a solar panel installation with installer, David Gomez (left), founder of Daily Green Power. (Gianna Bennett / Gianna Bennett)Earth Month begins in April, but in Louisville the celebrations are getting an early start. On March 28, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability is hosting Earth Fest at Alberta O. Jones Park, bringing together community groups, environmental organizations and residents to celebrate the planet and learn more about environmental work happening across the city.LPM’s Ayisha Jaffer spoke with Jacob Medley, executive director of the sustainability office, about Earth Fest, the office’s goals, and what Louisville residents can do to make a difference.This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.Ayisha Jaffer: Earth Fest launched last year as a way to kick off Earth Month in Louisville. What was the thinking behind creating a citywide event like this?Jake Medley: There are a lot of events spread out in April, and we thought something at the end of March would be a good way at kicking off all those events. Instead of just thinking of Earth Day, make it a comprehensive month — Earth Month. We thought we should do something formal just to kick off those events.AJ: If people come out, what can they expect?JM: They can expect a lot of fun. There is free food and music. We have a funk band, Funk Sway, and we have a DJ. We have an assortment of over 50 vendors, including a mixture of sustainability-related folks. There are a lot of artisan types. We have free tree giveaways too. So if you want to come and get a tree, that's an option.AJ: For people who may not be familiar, what is the function of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability?JM: We are very broadly focused on spreading and expanding sustainability in the city in general. We have specific goals within that framework, but it's very broad. We want to be cleaner from an energy perspective. We want to use less plastic.Also, we have very specific climate goals. Back in the previous decade, certain resolutions were pushed through Metro Council promoting clean energy net-zero goals. So that's a big focus for myself.AJ: What support does the city offer to help Louisville residents participate in those efforts?JM: If you want to participate and get solar and you want to be a homeowner that is generating power from the sun, Solarize Louisville will be kicking off in April, and it has historically provided a 12% to 18% upfront discount on solar.What else do we do? The Cool Roof Incentive Program. Most homes get a $2,000 rebate. The cool roof program incentivizes lighter colored roofing shingles or roofing products, which basically reflect sunlight back into the atmosphere. By doing that, roof surfaces are a lot cooler because they're not absorbing all that additional sunlight and heat. If someone has a cool roof, that means that their HVAC system doesn't have to work as hard.We have over 400 cool roofs completed to date. It's keeping areas cool that have been traditionally underinvested in for the 400 properties we've done over the 20-year period. Of those roofs, we are estimating that they'll see five and a half times the amount of savings against the amount invested in the program.AJ: What do you think Louisville residents can do to make a difference on sustainability?JM: The possibilities are endless. You can start composting. There are composting centers. You can also create your own composting bin in the back of your yard.If they want to be more energy efficient, they can get smart thermostats, which does require a little bit of an investment. LGE gives you rebates back on those types of purchases.Shop locally, because that requires less transportation.If you are a policy-minded individual, call your legislators. Talk to your council people. If we can get enough people calling a local representative, that critical mass matters. That's how our democracy works, and it can still work, but we just got to put in that effort. ...read more read less